This isn’t the time to criticise the Centre on Pak, says Dilip

tnn | Updated: Feb 19, 2019, 6:00 IST

Kolkata: Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh lashed out at Mamata Banerjee and her party on Monday for going soft on Pakistan when all other parliamentary party leaders recommended “strong action” against the Pulwama terror attack. “All parliamentary party leaders present at the meeting called by Union home minister Rajnath Singh supported strong action. It was only Trinamool parliamentary party leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay who opposed the resolution for strong action. Bandyopadhyay said he is opposed to it because the government can take it as an endorsement to go on war against Pakistan. What does it mean? Are they going to take responsibility of martyred soldiers?” Ghosh said. The BJP leader saw nothing wrong in the outpouring of patriotism across the country. “What’s wrong in that? For the last couple of days, people are taking out rallies in Kharagpur and Midnapore asking the government to take revenge. One should understand public sentiment. This is not the time to criticise the Centre,” Ghosh said. The Bengal BJP president looked unfazed with the CM’s criticism of BJP/RSS and VHP trying to fan sentiments with an aim to divide people. “What’s the harm if RSS takes out a rally with the national flag? They are Indians as much as any other citizen,” he said.

Asked about the recent attacks on netizens who questioned the Centre’s role over the Pulwama killings, Ghosh said: “Have you read the social media posts? Those who are raising questions are trying to underplay the role of Pakistan. They are hurting public emotion. One should keep it in view while expressing his opinion.” The BJP leader recounted the stance of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal during the September 2016 surgical strikes. “When people were happy with the surgical strikes, these two leaders had asked for evidence from the Army to find out how far the surgical strikes were true,” he said.